All the major financial centres have experienced a rise in anti-money laundering rules and regulations. Initially, anti-money laundering laws were used as a weapon in the war on drugs, whilst more recently they have been deployed in the ongoing fight against terrorism. These developments, the authors reveal, have had serious consequences for banks and other financial institutions - affecting not only profit margins but also the way in which business is conducted.

The book analyses the development of international standards for countering terrorist financing from the perspective of international criminal law. It is likely to find its value for readers not only as a monograph on the financing of terrorism but also as a reference book on the operational and theoretical development of anti-money laundering strategy following 9/11. In particular, the works of main actors in this area such as the UN Security Council, Financial Action Task Force, IMF, World Bank, and APG are dealt with in depth.